The National tribune., 1887-06-30
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
HINTS ON POULTRY HOUSES.

Il
makes some suggestions about the subject as
follows: 1T is an old maxim that no poultry
man has ever built poultry hcuse that would
not be changed in some respect If il were to be
done the second time. Those who go to the
| expense of constructing elegant designed and
elaborately- built poultry houses may adapt
them nicely to the eye. but the hens may not
be comfortable, and will not reward the builder
| for his pains. In Winter the main requirement
is warmth, and low ceiling. dry floor and
tarred paper walls. costing but very little, will
induce better results than the expense of large
sums TO suit the conveniences Of the poultry
man. And this is the error all fall into-that
Of constructing the poultry houses for their
convenience when the real object should be to
consider the welfare of the hens first. and make
the preferences Of the owner regarding his con-
veDience secondary matter. While you may
object to low ceiling because you do not care
TO bump your head when you enter the house,
the hen may prefer il to he just the reverse, as
1t will be warmer; and though you may wish
the door nearest your dwelling house, il may
thus be on the north SIDE allowing the cold
| blasts to creep under il and chill the birds
You may have particular location for the
| house, and wish it to face point of the COM
pass corresponding with some other building
or object, but the hens will prefer high ground
aud the southeast, so as TO get the benefit of
the suns rays as well as protection from the
northeast storms. In bnilding a poultry house.
| these matters should receive their proper at
| tentlOn, as well as the cnst. The best poultry
houses are those that are usually built low to
the ground, and hence made warm.
DESTROYING ONION MAGGOTs
All onion growers have been troubled with
the onion msggot for years without discovering
any absolutely certain remedy, and it has been
lett for a lady. living in Vermont, to find " hat
she claims TO be an infsllible remedy Her in
veStigatious Of the subject date back to the
Summer of 1855. when by close inspection of
the seed under msgnifer, she became con-
| WINGED that the egg of the onion maggot wac
deposited IN the blossom and taken up in the
seed TO hatch as that germinated. The natural
conclusion followed that any course that would
destroy the vitality Of the egg or its product
would prove TO be u remedy against the attacks
OF this dreaded enemy. Accordingly she soaked
the seed in a strong decOction of cayenne pep
per for24 hours before planting strainIng of the
liquor and drying of the seed with sifted ashes
that were sowed with the seed She (Mrs. j.
e. Smalleyl has pursued this course every year
since. and has never seen an onion maggot in
her beds. lt has also been tried by her neigh
bors with like success.
1t is important to know il the investigations
of this lady gardener have been successful in
discovering the resl germ Of the difficulty, a.
that is an important point TO know in order to
make a proper application OF remedies. IL is
very possible that other solutions would pro-
duce similar resultsif the trouble rests in the
seed.
EPILEPSY IN PIGS
Pigs and other animslsare sometimes affected
by q disease OF the nerve centers chiefly ths
brain, which causes sudden loss of SENSATION
and voluntary motion, with convulsve action
Of the muscles, frothing at the mouth, and re-
stricted breathing. The animal suddenly falls,
aud its limbs are violently convulsed with
spasmOdic movements. Alter two or three
minutes these motions cease and the animal
lies insensible for a short time, then gets up
aud moves about in n weak manner. There is
no certain remedy for this disease when its
source exists in the brain, but il is often caused
by worms, snemia, chronic Indigestion aud dis
ease Of the spine. In these cases local treat
ment has been found useful. A laxative medi-
cine-as ounce of raw linseed oil with three
drops OF crotOn Oil-msy be given to a pig
year old, and after this has operated tOnics in
small doses-as a teaspOouful OF a mixture Of
one ounce each Of sulphate Of iron, ground
ginger. powdered gentian root, and powdered
asafetida maybe given daily.
CLEANING GRAIN AND HAY FIKLDe
Preaching economy has become monotonous:
yet on the farm, as elsewhere waste takes more
than storms, trusts and insects It is the worst |
form of waste TO prepare the land, to manure it,
to cultivate the plant, and then leave good
part OF the crop on the ground. When
small-gr is cut by = self-binder, prop
eriy operated, so little grain is lett on the field
that it will not pay for cleaning it. But where
reaper with rake or dropper attachment 10
used, or the grain cut with "A cradle, cleaning
Is quite profitable, especially in the wheat |
field. The best implement for the purpose is a |
hay-rake. The revolving head rake is better |
than the spring tooth sulky rake. rs is does not
rake so close, and while gathering up the grain !
will take less foreign matter. especially when |
the grain has been sown on corn-s:alk ground.
without removing the stalks. The cleaning
should be done as soon as the grain is cut, as |
that lying on the stnbbie is rapidly damaged:
even the dew and sun bleach it, and a hard |
rain will beat it down into the stabble. If the |
cleaning Is done at ouce the grain will be of as
good quality as that taken from the reaper. |
The grain may be bound or moved away loose |
Cleaned oats are best fed unthrashed. A boy /
IN Illinois cleared 500 by cleaning the grain |
fields of his neighbOrs. Many of them allowed |
him the geanings free. This may be u hint to /
other boys, while most farmers will fiud that |
It will pay TO CLEAN their own fields-Ameicas |
Agricultural.
HOW TO KILL LIVE FOREVER.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: | notice q |
letter Of inquiry in THE NATIONAL TRIB-
UNE OF June wishing to know how to kill |
hveiorever. submit the following plan:
First, n Hank movement in this case is not |
practicable; therefore il must be accomplished |
by direct assault
Second, inaugurate the aniconda policy
draw a line OF men and boys across the field. |
armed with plOws and hoes; then order the 1
assault from every available point; continue |
the war for 30 days in succession, or longer il |
necessary. IL you should succeed in driving tho |
enemy you should guard the field closely for q |
year, or longer If necessary, in order 10 keep |
him from returning and again establishing him |
self IN the former pOsition.-J. ID. b., Glen |
wood, KY.
NOIzR
Plenty Of green for the hens now; ditto /
for the young chicks. There is no excuse for
neglecting 70 furnish tho fowls with green
food at this time of the year.
Coal ashes are OF soms value as a fertilizer
especially so mixed with clayey soil but the
best use TO make Of ashes is for roads aud paths.
good covering. oyer which little soil is
thrown, will soon form aJhard, solid road To
make a better walk, prepare and level the bed,
excavating it a few inches below the general
surface. Pour on coating of coal tar and
cover it thickly with coal ashes. When this In
dry, repeat with another coat of tar and ashes.
aud SO on until there are four coats of tar and
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